Joe’s got it.. All those blokes had a lesser-known, unrelated (as far as I know) namesake who played VFL/AFL.

Ian Nankervis was a Carlton player immediately before Barassi.

Kelvin Moore was a Richmond forward from the 2000s, who made the leadership ranks very early but his career stalled through injury.

Chris Johnson, son of Alan, played for Melbourne and Carlton up to about 2010.

Michael Johnson was a flame-haired onballer from Leongatha who played a few games for Hawthorn in the early 90s.

Keith Miller the cricket and wartime legend also played about 100 games at full-back for the Saints. His namesake played two for Geelong in 1974 and his cricket ability is unknown.

Andrew Collins, nephew of journeyman and 79 GF Goal of the Day Peter Francis, played for Richmond and Carlton up to around 2013.

Andrew Demetriou played half a dozen for South Melbourne in 1977.

Mark Williams has a choice of three. One played at Carlton then coached Sandy to a flag the day after Choco’s Port premiership. The most recent kicked three goals for Hawthorn in the 2008 flag. The most obscure was a burly Tasmanian who went from North to Footscray as part of the Gary Dempsey deal.

David King played a few games for Collingwood in 1998-99.

Robert Gray, ‘Bob’ in the Encyclopaedia of League Footballers, played about 60 games for Footscray in the mid 60s.

The late John McCarthy played at Collingwood then Port before the tragic events on the 2012 end-of-season trip.

Jamie Elliott was a lightly-built, very skilful forward for Fitzroy in the mid 90s just before the club folded.

Tony Evans was a mid-sized half back, for 30 games for St Kilda and Footscray in the late 80s.

Matthew Lloyd, who also wore no 18, played about 20 games for Sydney just after the Edelsten circus packed its tent in the late 80s.

Norm Smith played half a dozen games for Hawthorn in 1967.

John Schultz played three for St Kilda in 1984.

Greg Wells played a few for Geelong in 1972, the same year as the better known GW finished runner-up in the Brownlow. He might have returned to the Cats as the club doctor in later years. His brother is recruiting guru Steve Wells.

Peter Bell was a half-forward at St Kilda in the mid-70s, played 33 games including the 1973 Finals.

There were two Don Scotts besides the Hawthorn premiership captain, both from the 50s: a ruckman South recruited from West Perth for 80 games, and a rover for a dozen games for Geelong

Matthew Kennedy is an ex GWS academy player still establishing himself at Carlton.

Michael Gardiner was another West Australian ruckman, recruited by Collingwood around the same time and managing half a dozen games.

Mark Fraser was a South Melbourne tagger just before the move to Sydney, who according to the Encyclopedia of League Footballers had an excellent record playing on Kevin Bartlett

Neither Don McKenzie and neither Ross Smith needs any introduction. Alan ‘Bull’ Richardson, father of Matthew, was 20th man in the 67 Premiership team. John Murphy was a South Australian key defender who played for South Melbourne for the first half on the 70s, including the historic 70 1st semi. Bruce Reid was a South team-mate of Murphy’s, who was killed in a car accident just before the 1970 finals.

The Keith Miller of whom you speak is well known to the Almanac. He is a polymath of some renown. An injury forced him out of VFL football but he became a player, coach and administrator (Eastlake in Canberra) and also a sculptor, painter and sketcher. He then wrote ‘Kick it Long’ (history of Manuka/Eastlake) one of the better club histories going around – because he placed footy history in the broader context of canberra’s history and also brought the people to life. John Kingsmill designed it. Unfortunately Keith barracks for Collingwood now.

First class Rick. One of the best to date. But like every Almanacker, I have to have a say – Peter Hall Carlton early 70s ruck rover. And Peter Hall South Melb mid 70s. The South Melb Peter Hall came from Preston, schoolboy star who wanted to play at South, but zoned to Collingwood. Refused to go to the Pies (fair enough, gotta draw the line somewhere); challenged VFL zoning/trade rules; and won. Represented in the legal stoush by two lawyers John Adams and Shane Maguire. Coincidentally both lawyers major figures at the North Old Boys in the VAFA. Hall later played in an A Grade flag year at NOBs. Collingwood mired in repetitive Grand Final emotional quagmires. Karma. (That’s Karma, not Phil Carman).

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